After Paul Miller's death, his mom Eileen explains how a new Pennsylvania distracted driving bill will save lives
Eileen Miller has spent the last 12 years fighting for legislation that will keep drivers off their cell phones — it takes effect in Pennsylvania on Thursday, June 5.
"Paul Miller's Law" bans Pennsylvania drivers from using handheld devices, including cell phones, while operating a vehicle.
The law allows police officers to pull someone over solely for using their phone, including at red lights or stop signs.
The new law is named for Paul Miller, Jr., a Scranton man who died in July 2010 after a tractor-trailer driver, who was reaching for his cell phone, lost control and crashed into Miller's car.
The law finally going into effect completes a long journey for Eileen.
"It was like finally, finally!" Miller said. "Twelve years of hard fighting, and we finally got it."
The law's passing fulfilled a promise she made to her son when she went to the morgue to identify his body.
"It was, and still is to this day, the longest, darkest, deepest walk of my life," Miller said. "He was so broken, into a million pieces."
Before she left the morgue, Miller whispered into her son's ear.
"When I find out what caused this crash, and I will find out," Miller recalled, "I would fight for change."
Despite more than a decade of legislative struggles, Miller refused to give up because she didn't want another parent to experience her pain.
"I don't want any parent to ever have to go to a morgue to identify their child by something so preventable," Miller said. "I know that this piece of legislation is going to save lives, and that was most important thing."
The law allows some exceptions for drivers, such as calling 911 to report an emergency or if a driver paired their cell phone with Bluetooth or CarPlay.
Police officers can only give drivers written warnings until June 5, 2026, when officers will then be allowed to hand out $50 citations.
However, Miller said that total will likely climb to more than $100 after court costs and administrative fees are added to the fine.
